Education Commons^™

An Examination Of The Perceptions Of Principals And Teachers Regarding Principal Leadership Style Effectiveness And Flexibility As It Relates To School Improvement, Doris Ann Jones Lewis

Doctoral Dissertations

Principals play a critical role in a school's success. This study investigated how principals' leadership styles and teachers' perceptions of principals' leadership styles related to school performance. The sample for the study included 19 schools, 19 principals, and 139 third, fourth, and fifth-grade teachers. Both principals and teachers were administered a Leader Behavior Analysis II 20-item questionnaire. No Child Left Behind (2002) and increased accountability have intensified the need for principals to be effective instructional leaders who move schools forward. Although principals may have an indirect role in student achievement, they have a direct influence on quality teaching and instruction …

Instructional Leadership Practices Of Louisiana Elementary And Middle School Principals, Michael Ramon Hicks

Doctoral Dissertations

For principals in Louisiana, instructional leadership, in theory and practice, informs the foundation of ways they are trained and evaluated as school leaders. Identifying the specific instructional leadership practices that are tied to gains in student achievement has become critical for principals, and more importantly for their students. The focus of this research is in the area of principals' instructional leadership practices and student achievement in two northwestern Louisiana school districts. Such a study is important in order to provide effective training and development to Louisiana principals.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between teachers' perceptions …

The Relationship Between Configurations Of The New Tech High School Model And Student Achievement, Kyle Grant Machen

Doctoral Dissertations

Traditional educational environments have been documented as being potential barriers to improving student achievement. Consequently, reform models, such as the New Tech High School (NTHS), were created to enable educators to fundamentally rethink teaching and learning. The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether the NTHS, as a reform model, is an effective vehicle to increase student achievement. The study examined the relationship between NTHS models and desired outcomes of the New Tech Network (NTN) as indicated by: state proficiency exams, End of Course (EOC) exams; a college and career readiness exam, the American College Test (ACT); and, School …

The Predictive Validity Of Oral Reading Fluency Measures On The Louisiana Educational Assessment Program For Third And Fourth Grade Students, Tracy Elkins Bennett

Doctoral Dissertations

Good, Kaminski, Simmons and Kamenui (2001) declared a national awareness of the benefits of early reading success and the negative consequences of early reading failure. One method discussed for prevention of reading failure was the implementation of screening programs employed to measure reading skills, predict success of future reading success, and inform instruction that would hopefully eliminate reading failure. In the current study, the primary research question was to investigate the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) Oral Reading Fluency (DIBELS ORF) benchmark and screening program and its predictive abilities on reading comprehension achievement measured by the integrated …

Cooperating Teachers As Models Of Best Practice: Student Teachers' Perceptions, Connie B. Melder

Doctoral Dissertations

The selection of expert, effective cooperating teachers who can foster successful student teacher experiences and serve as primary role models for teacher candidates is central to the success of student teaching. However, a lack of consensus exists among education professionals on a standardized definition of effective cooperating teachers. The purpose of this dissertation study was to determine if student teachers' perceptions of cooperating teachers' modeled actions of professional standards differed across four certification grade bands: (a) early childhood certification (grades PK-3), (b) elementary certification (grades 1-5), (c) secondary content (grades 6-12) certification in English, mathematics, science, and social studies, and …

General And Special Education Teachers' Perspectives Of Full Membership For Students With Disabilities, Pamela S. Morgan

Doctoral Dissertations

The idea of full membership (FM) for students with disabilities (SWD) originated with the 1975 Education for all Handicapped Children Act which required equal educational access for these students. Full membership has evolved from mainstreaming to focusing on acceptance and belonging in a school community where all stakeholders have a voice and the culture is reflective of these values and beliefs. Despite American public education policy, there appears to be minimal progress for SWD in gaining FM. This phenomenological qualitative study was conducted to gain insight into the perceptions and lived experiences of teachers. Comparing two high schools in the …

The Effect Of Physical Activity On Fourth-Grade Students' Reading Achievement In One Elementary School, Donna Lynn Bush

Doctoral Dissertations

There is a critical need to improve students' reading and comprehending ability. In 2011, Louisiana's students scored well below the national average in reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Research suggests there is a connection between physical activity and students' ability to focus and comprehend during reading class, therefore improving reading comprehension. However, many school districts are cutting back physical activity time in favor of more academic time.

The purpose of this 12-week study was to examine the effect of physical activity on fourth-grade students' achievement in reading. A quasi-experimental design was used to study 108 fourth-grade …

An Examination Of The Effectiveness Of The Louisiana Gear Up Program In Promoting Self-Efficacy, Improving Academic Achievement And Increasing Teachers' Aspirations For Their Students, Candi Hill

Doctoral Dissertations

Students are likely to avoid academic pursuits if they lack academic self-efficacy (Bandura, 2000). Furthermore, past poor academic performance contributes to the development of low academic self-efficacy. Students who participate in extracurricular activities, like LA GEAR UP, demonstrate better academic achievement and less risk-taking behaviors than non-participating students (Barber, Stone, & Hunt, 2003). Research supports the notion that LA GEAR UP is an effective way to improve students' academic performance and to reduce the number of disciplinary referrals students receive (Beer, 2009). Additionally, within the academic literature research has demonstrated that teachers' attributions about students are based upon their perceptions …